


What a difference love can make.

by CristinaBlackthornKingson



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Norse Religion & Lore, Big Sisters, Brother-Sister Relationships, Child Abandonment, Coming Out, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Foster Care, Gen, Genderbending, Genderfluid, Genderfluid Character, Half-Siblings, He/Him Pronouns for Alex Fierro, Little Brothers, Little Sisters, M/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Other, Pansexual Character, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Rejection, She/Her Pronouns For Alex Fierro, Single Parents, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sisters, Trans Character, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24373837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CristinaBlackthornKingson/pseuds/CristinaBlackthornKingson
Summary: What would have happened if Alex and Sam were raised together?Set in an AU, Mr. Fierro and his wife reject Alex immediately, refusing to take her in as a baby. Loki knows that he cannot convince them to keep Alex, even with all the charmspeak in the world, and he cannot lose Alex in the system and have her raised by strangers, so in an act of desperation he goes to Ayesha al-Abbas, the mother of his other daughter, and pleads with her to take Alex in and raise her as her own, and being the wonderful human she is, Ayesha agrees.
Relationships: Alex Fierro & Mallory Keen, Loki/Sigyn, Magnus Chase & Alex Fierro, Magnus Chase & Alex Fierro & Halfborn Gunderson & Thomas Jefferson Jr. & Mallory Keen, Magnus Chase/Alex Fierro, Samirah al-Abbas & Alex Fierro, Samirah al-Abbas & Loki, Samirah al-Abbas & Magnus Chase
Comments: 7
Kudos: 91





	What a difference love can make.

It is a mild autumn day in Dorchester, 1996, when there is an unexpected knock at Ayesha al-Abbas’ front door. Ayesha gets up from her spot on the floor, where she had been playing with her one year old daughter, Samirah, and goes to answer the door. When she opens the door, the last person she expects to find standing there is Samirah’s father, Loki, dressed in his usual red-sox jersey, black jeans and white tennis shoes, though this time he has a coat open over the jersey. He has an unusual look of fear and desperation on his face, and most strangely of all, in his arms Loki holds a tiny bundle of green and pink blankets, a few tufts of dark hair poke out from the top of the blanket and from the blanket come low cooing and fussing noises, undoubtedly those of a baby. 

“Loki? What are you doing here?” Ayesha asks in a confused tone. 

“Ayesha, my lovely Ayesha, I hate to ask but I need a very big favor from you, may I come in?” Loki’s tone if full of concern, which is so unlike him. Ayesha nods and ushers him into the house

“Go through to the kitchen, I’m going to check on Sam.” Ayesha tells him, figuring that the two of them are going to be talking for a while. She goes into the living room and decides to put Sam in the area of the living room that Ayesha had gated off when Samirah was 7 months old and starting to become mobile, and get into things, now she can walk, if she’s left alone for more than a minute there’s no doubt she’ll get into all sorts of trouble. 

Ayesha gives Samirah as many toys as she can find, to play with and also leaves the T.V. on for her, she’d rather not have her little one year old present for this chat with Loki. 

A few minutes later she rejoins the Norse God (yes she knows all about the nine worlds, Loki opened her eyes to it all when she told him she was pregnant with Samirah. )

“So to address the elephant in the room, why do you have a baby and where did you get a baby?” Ayesha asks, as she sits down at the kitchen table, across from Loki.

“That is a bit of a long story, and you won’t be happy with me at the end of it.” Loki tells her. Already she doesn’t like where this is going. 

“Just tell me.”

“Alright. Well... you know I’m genderfluid, don’t you? And that when my gender changes, I use my magic and powers to also change my sex?” Loki begins. Ayesha nods, Loki had told her this not long after they met, she didn’t understand it at first but it never bothered her and when she and Loki became a couple and she fell pregnant, she looked more into it and learned about it, so she could understand Loki better. “Well... nine months ago, I was having a female day and I made the acquaintance of a very attractive business man. I was attracted to him for a plethora of reasons and made it my mission to seduce him, which I did. However, from our night together, I got more than just a good time. A few weeks after I slept with him, I found out I was pregnant, with this little one here. At the time I was so overwhelmed and shocked about the pregnancy that I opted to keep it a secret from you.

As you know, as a God I cannot raise my children, being involved in their lives is one thing but I cannot raise them, so I opted to stay away from you and Samirah for the duration of my pregnancy, then I planned to give birth and give the baby to her father, and visit the baby like I visit Sam. 

The giving birth part worked out fine, this little one made a very hurried entry into the world last week, however when I showed up to her father’s- Mateo is his name- he immediately rejected the baby. I tried everything I could to convince he and his wife, but they would not take her in, they resent her for her Norse heritage- I had to open their eyes to the nine worlds, permanently- I knew if I left the baby with them, they would just put her straight into the system, and I cannot have that, I will not have my child raised by strangers and I will not let her get lost in the system, likely never getting adopted because she’s not white.

So now I’ve come to you Ayesha, and I’m asking you to take this little one in and raise her alongside Samirah, they’re sisters, they should grow up together. I know you likely hate me right now, but this is not for my sake, but rather the baby’s.” When Loki finishes his story, Ayesha has just about every emotion swirling around in her brain, anger, hurt, sadness, empathy, hope, joy, and more. 

“You cheated on me?” Ayesha quietly asks in a hurt tone, looking straight at Loki. 

“I can’t deny it, and I can’t say I’m sorry, because I got this little one out of it and I would never wish to not have had her. Ayesha you have every right to be upset with me dear, but I ask you not to think about me and my infidelity right now, rather think of this innocent child who so desperately needs a home.” Loki uses his charmspeak abilities to will Ayesha to forget about how hurt she is that he cheated on her, and instead focus on the baby. 

“I... this quiet a lot to ask of me. I love Samirah with all my heart and I do not regret having her, but practically raising her on my own is so difficult, especially with my work schedule, I’m so grateful and lucky that my parents love her and accept her, and are willing to help me with her.” Ayesha softly says, picturing her daughter’s happy and smiling face.

“I understand, but this child has no one else, she is not even two weeks old and she has already been rejected and is already hated simply for who she is. I will be around to help with both girls, I promise, you know how important it is for me to be in my children’s lives.” Loki says. Ayesha is quiet for a minute, before asking 

“Does she have a name, the baby?” 

“Alexandria, but I’ve just been calling her Alex, her father’s surname is Fierro, so I suppose she’s Alex Fierro, I haven’t given her a middle name.” 

“Can I hold her?” Ayesha softly asks. Loki nods, and carefully passes the baby to her. When the baby is placed in her arms, Ayesha feels an unexpected rush of love and a fierce desire to protect this child with her whole life, just as she does for Samirah. Something in her is telling her that this child has always been hers, they have always been destined to come together, to be in each other’s lives. Now that Ayesha has the baby in her arms, she knows she won't ever let her go again. 

“Hello little Alex.” Ayesha quietly says, stroking the baby’s soft little cheek. “I’m your mama, and I promise to always love you and protect you no matter what, you’re my daughter now and nothing in this world or any of the other 8 worlds could make me hate you.” 

“Thank you, Ayesha.” Loki says in a grateful tone, his shoulders sagging with relief. 

“I didn’t do this for you, I did it for Alex, so she can grow up in a safe house, with a mama who loves her and a sister to play with, food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in, a family to call her own.” Loki nods. 

“I understand. Perhaps I could help you introduce Sam to her new sister?” Loki asks, a hint of hope in his tone. He’s missed Samirah these last nine months, she must be so big by now, last time he saw her she was only 3 months old, just starting to learn to role over and smile, by now she can probably walk and say a few words, he hopes she recognizes him. 

“Yes, alright.” Ayesha agrees, never taking her eyes off baby Alex, who is starting back up at her with one pale amber eye and one brown. 

Loki makes his way into the living room, and feels his heart both simultaneously lift and sink when he sees Samirah. On one hand he is extremely glad to see her again, but on the other she has grown so very much since he last saw her, she’s so big and sturdy now, sitting by herself, her few tufts of dark brown hair that she had at 3 months old, have been replaced by a mop of dark brown hair, she looks just like her mother.

When Samirah hears footsteps enter the room, she looks up and when she sees Loki, she breaks out into a huge grin and holds her arms out to be lifted. 

“Dada!” She exclaims in her high-pitched voice, that simply melts Loki’s heart. She _does_ remember him, Ayesha must have talked about him and shown her pictures, she really is a wonderful woman. It’s such a pity that Loki is already married to dreadful Sigyn, otherwise he would be inclined to take Ayesha as his wife. 

“Hello my lovely Samirah, I’ve missed you.” Loki quietly says, scooping her out of her playpen and settling her on his hip with a kiss to the cheek. “Come on little one, there’s someone you need to meet.” Loki carries little Samirah back into the kitchen and sets her down by Ayesha’s side, before kneeling down next to her, his hand on her back. 

“Mama?” Little Samirah curiously asks, tilting her head.

“Hi baby, look Sam, this is your little sister, Alex.” Ayesha softly says, beckoning her daughter closer. Samirah leans forward and peers into the bundle in her mother’s arms. She knows a little about babies and siblings, one of Ayesha’s friends just had their second baby, and Sam was delighted when she got to see the baby. 

“Love her.” Sam determines after a second, reaching out to stroke her sister’s hair. “My baby, my Alex.” Even though she’s only known her sister for a few seconds, Samirah is already fiercely protective of her, and that protectiveness will only grow over the years.

Life as a mostly single mother is quiet difficult for Ayesha, but thankfully her parents have accepted Alex and love her just as much as they love Sam. The girls grow to be extremely close, and Alex returns her sister’s fierce loyalty and protectiveness, sometimes Alex acts like the older of the two, and certainly has a temper that Sam lacks. 

Over the years Ayesha notices that there’s something different about Alex, though not in a bad way of course. One of the first things that Ayesha notices, is that Alex likes both very feminine clothes and very masculine clothes, and will often want to change her hair and looks, some days she loves nothing more than to wear a dress, let Ayesha do her hair and experiment with makeup, others she wants to wear things like suits, have her hair short (On these days she usually ties it up at the back of her head or tucks it up under a hat.). She likes to push the boundaries and mess with society's rules, often times wearing a suit she asked Ayesha to buy her (green and pink, her favorite colors) and tucking her hair up, while simultaneously wearing perfectly drawn eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara and usually some dark lipstick (either a dark green or dark pink.) There are also days where Alex doesn’t like being referred to as a girl, and asks to be called a boy. On these days Ayesha (and Sam) respect Alex’s wishes, though they’re not that common so at first Ayesha thinks Alex is perhaps experimenting with their gender, trying to figure themselves out, and she wants to give them all the room they need, to do that.

It’s not until Alex is 14, that Ayesha realises they weren’t just experimenting. 

Alex and Samirah have been home from school for a few hours on a warm spring day, when Alex approaches Ayesha. 

“Mama?” Alex asks. “Can I talk to you about something for a minute?” Ayesha smiles and nods. 

“Of course _Hobi,_ is everything alright? _”_ Ayesha asks, gesturing for Alex to sit at the kitchen table next to her. Alex nods. 

“Yeah it’s just... well... you know how I sometimes ask to be called a boy and sometimes I like to wear more traditionally masculine clothes and appear more masculine?” Alex begins. 

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s because I’m genderfluid, like my mom.” Alex tells her. Since Loki gave birth to Alex, he is technically their mother, and seems to want Alex to call him mom, so over the years Alex has called Loki ‘Mom’ and Ayesha ‘Mama’ or ‘Ami’ two terms for mother, in Arabic, while Sam mostly calls Ayesha mom and Loki dad, some would find it confusing but it works for their family. 

“Oh, oh alright. So this means that sometimes you identify as female and sometimes you identify as male, right?” Ayesha asks.

“Yeah, most of the time I’m female but I do have male days, and generally I like to present as kind of androgynus, though on my female days I do like my hair to be a bit longer, I use my shape-shifting powers to grow it out a little bit on my female days and then cut it when I want it shorter.” Alex explains. Ayesha nods her understanding. 

“Okay, and what pronouns do you want me to use?” She asks, shocking Alex, who wasn’t aware that his mother knew about the whole pronoun issue for trans and/or non-binary people.

“Um, on my female days my pronouns are she/her and my male days they’re he/him.” 

“Okay, and is today a male or female day?” Ayesha asks. 

“Male.” 

“Okay, he/him today, and do you want to change your name?” Alex shakes his head. 

“No, I like Alex, but um, if it’s okay with you I’d like to... legally change it from Alexandria to Alex, because if I ever get married, I want my marriage certificate to say Alex, not Alexandria.” 

“Yes that’s completely fine, I’ll help you with that no problem, we’ll get started on that the minute you turn sixteen.” Ayesha promises. 

“Mama, can I ask one more thing?” Alex carefully asks, afraid of pushing his mother’s limits. 

“Of course, ask away.” 

“Can... can we go shopping for some new clothes for me? Stuff that better suits me and isn’t really gendered one way or the other?” Alex’s voice is hopeful. Being only 14 he doesn’t have a lot of money to buy himself new clothes, and has been careful of what he asks Ayesha to buy him, in case she did not accept him. Now he just has to hope his grandparents accept him, they’re pretty strict Muslims, and though both Alex and Sam have been raised as Muslim, Alex is starting to realize he doesn’t believe in any religion or faith, while Sam clearly does believe in _Allah_ and likes to practice her faith, now at 14 she’s started to wear a _hijab_ , pray 5 times a day, and even fasted for a few days during Ramadan this year, though she wasn’t able to last the whole month, understandably. 

“Absolutely, how about you, Sam and I go tomorrow after school, a family day out?” Ayesha suggests, making Alex’s face light up. Sam knows that Alex is genderfluid and has been helping him figure out his style, she’ll be great to have on hand to help pick out new clothes. 

“Yeah, sounds good.” Alex agrees, relieved that Ayesha has reacted so well to his coming out.

Later that evening, Alex goes into Sam’s room to talk with his sister and enjoy her company, he hasn’t seen her much the past few weeks, she all of a sudden became very busy, when usually she doesn’t do much bar go to school, study and pray, sometimes she’ll go out with Alex but not often, so Alex is suspicious of his sister’s sudden change in behavior. 

“So where have you been all day these last couple of weeks? You keep rushing away all of a sudden, even during school, what’s up?” Alex asks Sam, as he sits on her floor in front of her bed, while Sam sits behind him on the bed, pulling a brush through his ridiculously thick (now green) hair. She’d agreed to try and thin it out a little for her brother, after all if it turns out terrible Alex can just use his shape-shifting powers to fix it. 

“Oh, uh just extra classes to boost my GPA.” Sam replies in a light tone. Alex scoffs. 

“Lies, you don’t have anytime in your schedule and your GPA couldn’t get any higher unless you’re some one of a kind genius, like Stephen Hawking or Florence Nightingale.” 

“How do you know I’m not? How do you know I’m not doing the opposite of Stephen Hawking and writing a book about how it _is_ possible for _Allah_ to exist?” Sam teases, biting her lip when her brush gets stuck in Alex’s hair. 

“Because if you did and were, you would never shut up about it_ ow!” Alex regrets his words when Sam yanks the hairbrush out of his hair.

“Oops.” She replies in a deadpan tone, with a smirk.

“Aw come on sis, tell me!” Alex pleads. 

“You won’t believe me.” Sam says in an unsure tone, earning another scoff from Alex. 

“If you can prove it I’ll believe it, come on Sam, the person who fathered you, carried and birthed me, we’re Norse demigods, kids of Loki no less, I don’t think there’s anything you can tell me that will surprise me or make me not believe you.” 

“Ugh, fine!” So over the next few minutes, Sam proceeds to tell Alex all about the ice giant who attacked their middle school, and how even though she’s bullied and ridiculed and abused there, and detests her fellow students, she risked her own life by gaining the attention of the ice giant, leading it to the school roof and killing it by kicking it off said roof. Then after that, the king of the Norse Gods, Odin himself, appeared to Sam and offered her a position as one of his Valkyrie, collectors of souls, for her bravery. Sam took the position and that’s where she’s been rushing off to over the last few weeks, escorting the souls of the brave and honored dead, to Valhalla. 

Alex is silent for a few seconds, following his sister’s explanation, trying to take it all in and process it. 

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Sam wearily asks. 

“Of course I do! Sam that’s so crazy how could I not believe it? You wouldn’t make something like this up!” Alex exclaims. “Does mom know, or Jid and Bibi?” 

“No, and I’d rather it stay that way, they don’t need to worry more than they do already.” Sam says. Alex nods his agreement. 

“Okay, fair enough. So my sister the Valkyrie huh? Do you think you could sneak me into Valhalla to see the place?” Alex eagerly asks, earning a laugh and a shove from his sister. Though this was meant purely as a joke, little do either of them know that in two years time, Alex _will_ get to see Valhalla, because he’ll be a resident there.

Two years later, Alex dies saving an elderly man on the streets, from two deadly wolves, sons of the infamous wolf, Fenris, Alex’s half-brother. The man manages to get away, but unfortunately Alex does not, and her short life ends at only 16. 

Of course, without a moment’s hesitation, Samirah takes her sister’s soul and guides her to Valhalla. She sits with her for the few hours it takes her to wake up and is there to soothe and comfort her and explain everything when she wakes up. It takes a while, but once Sam explains that being an Einherji won’t restrict Alex to just one gender, she calms down.

“Come on.” Sam softly says, helping Alex to her feet, and linking her arm through hers. “Lets get you settled in your room, and let me introduce you to your hallmates, they’re an interesting bunch, you’ll love them.” and little does Alex know, that here in Valhalla, she is about to meet 3 of her best friends who will remain her best friends until Ragnarok, and she is also about to meet the love of her life.


End file.
